The Last Rogue: The Lochran Trilogy Part 2 by John Righten

Author:John Righten [Righten, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-09-01T05:00:00+00:00

The thin man in black lifted his arms straight above his head, directly aircraft into a holding bay. As the image became clearer, Kirsten saw the man morph into the hands of the wide, white-faced clock on the wall.

To her right, she heard a woman whispering. ‘Can you hear me, my dear? I’m Doctor Hilda Courtney. You collapsed on the steps of our hospital. I’ve examined you, and though your pulse is weak, you have not broken anything. What is your name, my dear?’

Kirsten’s blue eyes flickered open wider and were met by the soft pleasant face of a woman in her mid-fifties. The woman’s kindly green eyes were framed by lethal-looking, blue horn-rimmed spectacles, while her monochrome matt-black dyed hair was raised up in a startling lacquered beehive style.

‘I’m Kirsten Brett, I work for the Foreign office,’ she gasped. ‘Can you pass me my handbag please?’

‘You’re looking for these?’ asked the doctor, lifting the small brown glass bottle to read the label. ‘Verattum nigrum, a medicinal compound known as the Black false Hellebore. The Chinese swear by it and use it to reduce inflammation in blocked or narrow arteries, but it’s toxic if the dosage is too high. It would explain your weak pulse, my dear, but you must be desperate for any doctor to prescribe it.’

Kirsten placed one white tablet in her mouth as the doctor passed her a glass of water.

‘My doctors have tried everything, and it took some persuading to convince them, but as all else has failed it keeps me going.’

‘You have been told that it will kill you, even if your heart does not give out first?’

‘Yes, that has been spelt out repeatedly,’ said Kirsten.

‘You have repeated bouts of nausea?’

Kirsten nodded before returning to her mission. ‘Do you have a patient called Jane Brück, perhaps pronounced Brooks here?’ asked Kristen, easing herself back onto the bed.

‘I’m her physician. Are you a relative or close friend?’

‘I have been sent to keep an eye on her,’ though she did not say by whom, hoping that the kindly doctor would assume it was in a governmental capacity.

‘Forgive me, but it is you that needs looking after. However, the other young woman is in an even worse condition. She is on life support, having been brutally abused. I doubt she will last the week. I have put her into an induced coma, in the hope her life signs improve’ – she shook her head. ‘I’ve had patients brought to me having suffered some terrible injuries on the battlefield, but what that poor girl has suffered, dear God.’

‘May I see her please?’

‘I will help you into a wheelchair and I will take you to her. But you cannot get too close to her or try to talk to her; if you disturb her in her sedated state, the shock may kill her.’

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